IPv6 addresses are 128-bit and represented by 8 colon-separated 16-bit segments in hexadecimal format. IPv6 introduces more efficient address representation methods and a standardized interface identifier generation technique using MAC addresses. IPv6 headers are simpler than IPv4 headers and introduce new address types like anycast. Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 requires dual stack support and new security practices as many old IPv4 attacks still apply to IPv6. First hop security features like RA guard help prevent rogue devices and address spoofing. Overall, IPv6 deployment faces challenges around network segmentation, firewall rules, and router configurations.
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